The present invention relates generally to a guide or centering device and specifically to an apparatus for centering and guiding elongated objects along a predetermined path based on a centering principle similar to those of camera shutters as disclosed in patents classified in U.S. Patent Class 95.
Many steps in the production of high quality rod, wire and cable require that the workpiece position be accurately controlled, for example, the position of a cable as it moves through an air wipe must be closely controlled if the air wipe is to function at full efficiency, likewise the conductor must be accurately positioned as it enters the cross head of an extruder if insulation is to be applied therein without causing excessive wear to the extrusion tooling and if the conductor is not to be marred during the process. A typical prior art cable centering device comprises a pair of parallel vertical rollers and a pair of parallel horizontal rollers mounted in tanden so that the pair of parallel vertical rollers control the travel of the cable within a limited vertical plane and the pair of parallel horizontal rollers control the travel of the cable within a limited horizontal plane with the results of the cooperative action of both pairs of rollers being a cable accurately positioned along a desired path. Although this prior art device is effective, it requires time consuming adjustments of all four rollers which usually involve loosening and tightening eight separate nuts, because adjustments must be made any time the cable diameter changes to assure high quality cable production.
The present invention eliminates this problem because all guiding surfaces automatically adjust to changes in cable diameter dimensions while one quick easy manual adjustment solves start-up adjustment problems.